BMW Masters 2012: Day 4 Leaderboard Analysis, Highlights and More
Peter Hanson's successful 2012 continues, as he became the first ever winner of the BMW Masters on Sunday. Hanson won the event with a 21-under for his four days at Lake Malaren Golf Club, nipping world No. 1 Rory McIlroy by one stroke.
Hanson and McIlroy, Ryder Cup teammates who were near or atop the leaderboard for most of the tournament, battled all the way to the 18th green.
Here's what Hanson had to say about his victory, per the Washington Post:
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
"It’s fantastic to win the BMW Masters, and to go head-to-head with the world No. 1 is always nice, but to come out on top it feels great...This is by far my biggest win, so it feels great, as we had just so many guys in the top 10 in the world, so this trophy is very, very special to me.
"
McIlroy made things tough for Hanson on the back nine, pulling to within two strokes on the 16th after falling behind by four earlier on Sunday. Both men would finish the final round with five-under 67s.
The top of the leaderboard was riddled with 2012 Ryder Cup heroes, including both Hanson and McIlroy, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and Graeme MacDowell. Nicolas Colsaerts, one of the surprise heroes of the Ryder Cup with his putting prowess, finished tied 14th.
For a complete look at the leaderboard at the end of the tournament, click here. For highlights of the event, including a complete Day 4 recap, check out EuropeanTour.com.
Leaderboard
| Position | Player | Scores | Final Total |
| 1 | Peter Hanson | 66-64-70-67 | -21 |
| 2 | Rory McIlroy | 67-65-69-67 | -20 |
| 3 | Luke Donald | 70-67-68-66 | -17 |
| 4 | Ian Poulter | 70-69-68-65 | -16 |
| 5 | Shane Lowry | 72-64-69-68 | -15 |
| T6 | Paul Casey | 70-68-68-68 | -14 |
| T6 | George Coetzee | 69-68-66-71 | -14 |
| T6 | Alexander Noren | 68-68-69-69 | -14 |
| T6 | Louis Oosthuizen | 68-69-69-68 | -14 |
| T6 | Justin Rose | 68-68-69-69 | -14 |
Final Thoughts
The European Tour is rapidly approaching Dubai at the end of November, and with it the end of the season. McIlroy, Hanson and Rose make up two of the top three down the stretch, but it appears it's McIlroy's to lose the way he continues to approach these tour matches.
The Tour heads to China and the HSBC Championships on Nov. 1-4, where the top contenders all plan to square off again.
One of those competitors, McDowell, was satisfied with his performance but knows he'll have work to do before hitting the links again next weekend.
"Decent week here in Shanghai at the #BMW Masters. Room for improvement, but a solid start to my 6 week trip. Bring on the #HSBC next week.
— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) October 28, 2012"
Ten of the top 15 in the European Tour standings were members of the 2012 Ryder Cup team, so you can bet this next month of golf will be one of the more exciting times to follow the sport, particularly in Europe.
Ethan Grant is a Bleacher Report featured columnist and member of the Breaking News Team.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
